Final adjusting device for machine-tools



- E- C. HEAD.

FINAL ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MACHINE TOOLS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 1917- 1,328,670. I m PELtOHtGLZHgEEiHLQO,1920,

7a 23 16v I \v\\\\\ k I k v 7 ATTORNEYS.

E. 0. HEAD. FINAL ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MACHINE TOOLS. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. IOI 1917.

1 ,328,67(), 7 Patented J an. 20, 1920.

SSHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOR/I/ E V5 E. 0. HEAD. v FINAL ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MACHINE TOOLS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10.1917- Patented J an. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- INVENTOR ATTORNEYS' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNESTO. HEAD, OF VAN WERT. OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 COLBURN MACHINE TOOLCOMPANY, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- 'VA-NIA.

SpeciflcationJof Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Application filed'November 10, 1917. Serial No.'201,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1., ERNESTC. HEAD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,- and a resident of Van Wert, Ohio, have invented anew anduseful Improvement in Final Adjusting Devices for Machine-Tools, whichinvention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates'to a manually-"operated adjusting device formachine-tools and, while capable of a wide variety of applications, hasspecial utilitywhen employed as a final adjusting device for the toolsof vertical boring and turning mills.

In the operation of machine-tools, it is frequently necessary to adjustthe tool to the work to one one-hundredth of an inch, a half-hundredthof an inch, or even one one-thousandth of an inch, and it is notfeasible, if possible, to set the tool with such accuracy by the use ofthe main feed devices of the machine. It therefore becomes desirable toprovide an adjusting device operating upon the feed'element orelementsand supplemental thereto for the purpose of accurately adjusting thetool after the same has been roughly positioned by operation of the mainfeed device or de vices. It is an object of this invention to provide afinal adjusting device of the type characterized which is simple inconstruction and accurate and efficient in operation.

The invention has for another ob ect the provision of an improvedmanuallv-operated adjusting device for a feed element that is soconstructed and mounted as to enable its convenient operation withoutthe workman having to leave his place at the table of the machine-tool.

Yet another object of the invention relates to the provision of anadjusting device of the type characterized with means whereby the extentof adjustment of the feed element may be accurately indicated.

A still further object of the invention relates to the provision of anadjusting device of the type described that is so arranged as to beatall times readily accessible to the workman, while in no wayinterfering with the operation of "the associated parts of themachine-tool, and one that may be operated with a .minimumezc ertionon'the part of the workman.

"Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

"Stated briefly, the invention comprises, in combination with a feedelement and a-gear mounted on the feed element and adapted to rotate thesame, a shaft mounted at an angle, preferably an acute angle, to thefeed element, a pinion on said shaft for'rotating, and preferably inmesh with, said gear, means desirably in the form of ratchet mechanismfor manuall rotating said shaft, and preferably means to indicate theextent of adjustment of said feed element. Said shaft is preferablymounted in "the saddle to travel therewith and, when such is the case,means are provided for "causing the gear to also travel with the saddle.To position the manually operated element of the adjusting deviceconveniently accessible to the workman, the aforesaid shaft is shown asextending in its acute angle to the feed element away from the saddleand preferably in the same horizontal plane with said feed element, andthe manually operated member extending at an angle to said shaft towardthe front of said saddle.

The invention'is capable of receiving a variety of mechanicalexpressions, one of which isshown insthe accompanying drawings, but itis to be expressly understood that such drawings are 'for the purposesof illustra tion only and are not to be considered as a definition ofthe limits of the invention, reference being bad to the appended claimsfor that urpose.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a "horizontal section through a portion ofa saddle'and cross-rail of a niachine-tool, showing an improved :finaladjusting device embodying the present invention attached to the feedrod thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a saddle, t0- ge'ther with the adjacentportions of the cross-rail,and shows-both the feed rod and feed screwequipped with the improved adjusting device;

Fig.8 is a detached view, partly insection, of the main elements of theadjusting device;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the ratchet mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through portions of the cross-rail andsaddle of a vertical boring and turning mill to which, for the purposesof illustration, the improved adjusting device is shown applied.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the same characters of referencebeing used throughout the-several figures to designate correspondingparts, the invention is shown as applied to the feed mechanism of averti cal boring and turning mill, but it is to be expressly understoodthat the same is not to be restricted in its application to anyparticular form of machine-tool, as the invention is of utility whereverfinal and accurate adjustment of a tool through a feed element isdesirable.

In the form shown, 1 is the cross-rail and 2 the saddle thereon.Traverse of the saddle on the rail is effected through the coaction offeed screw 3 suitably journaled in the rail and nut 4: suitably attachedto said saddle. Also carried by the saddle is any suitable form of ram 5and, to effect the vertical movements thereof, a feed rod 6 suitablyjournaled on the cross-rail is provided with a key seat 7 in whichtravels the feather or spline of a worm 8 which moves with the saddle 2.In mesh with the worm 8 is a worm wheel 9 carried by a shaft 10 on whichis also the pinion 11 in mesh with a rack 12 on the side of the ram 5.

The final adjusting device of the present invention may be applied toeither the feed screw or the feed rod, and preferably is applied to bothas shown in Fig. 2. Inasmuch as the construction of the device asapplied to either the feed screw or the feed rod is the same, thedescription of that device which is operatively connected with the feedrod will be understood as equally applying to both. The term feedelement will here after he used, therefore, to designate either the feedscrew 3 or the feed rod 6, as well as any other suitable feed element.

' Also mounted on the feed rod 6 and adapted to rotate the same is asleeve 13 provided with a key or gib 14 designed to occupy the key seat7 'One end of said sleeve 13 is provided, in the form shown, with abevel gear 15 and the opposite end of said sleeve with a flange 16engaged by any suitable engaging device 17 carried by the saddle 2 andadapted to cause said sleeve to move with said saddle as the same is fedhorizontally by the screw 3. Also mounted in the saddle 2 and shown asextending at an acute angle to the feed element away from the saddle,and preferably in the same horizontal plane with said feed element, is ashaft 18 carrying on its inner end the pinion 19 in mesh with theaforesaid bev'el gear 15. Freely rotatable upon the outer end of theshaft 18 in the form shown is a ratchet lever 20 hollowed out at its hubto constitute a housing 21 for the ratchet wheel 22 suitably secured onthe shaft 18 as by a pin 23. Ratchet lever 20 is suitably secured on theshaft 18 as by a nut 2d and washer 25, and is hollowed out at its coreto receive the sliding plunger 26 provided at its inner end with a tooth27 for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22 and provided atits outer end with an enlarged head 28 between which and the body ofsaid lever is a coiled spring 29 which normally retains the tooth 27 outof engagement with the ratchet wheel 22. Pivotally mounted on the lever20 is a latch lever 30 provided with a stop lug 31 and a contact lug 32which engages the head 28 of the plunger 26.

Suitable means are preferably provided to measure or indicate the amountof adjustment of the feed element by the operation of the adjustingdevice heretofore described and, for this purpose, shaft 18 may beprovided with a sto index system for boring mills of the type ilisclosedin the patent to Frederick F. Clarke, No. 1,180,043, granted June 20,1916, to which patent reference is made for a full description of theconstruction and operation thereof. Briefly, said construction comprisesa stationary sleeve or hearing 33 which may be provided on the peripheryof its flange 34 with a suitable indicating mark for coaction with thegraduations 35 on the periphery of the sleeve 36 mounted to rotate withshaft 18. Said sleeve 36 carries the clamping ring 37 between which andthe sleeve 36 is maintained one or more index points 38, said campingring being adjusted by operation of the knurled clamping nut 39 inscrew-threaded relation to the hub of sleeve 36. Any other suitableindicating means, however, may be employed if desired.

In the preferred arrangement of the adjusting device, shaft 18 extendsoutwardly and away from the saddle at an acute angle to the feedelement, such angle being preferably less than 45. Thereby the ratchetlever 20, which is shown as extending at a right angle to the axis ofsaid shaft 18, projects toward the front of the saddle to a positionwhere it is conveniently accessible to the operator. At the same timethe position of the lever 20 is such as not to interfere with any otherof the associated mechanism on the saddle 2 or ram 5 (or the turret whenthe machine is equipped with one).

When it is desired to move the tool to final adjustment from theposition to which it has been moved by the power feed, ratchet lever 20and latch lever 30 are grasped in the hand. The latch lever is movedabout its pivot and, through the coaction of lug 32 and'head 28',forces, thev plunger 20 against the tension of its spring 29 to engageits tooth 27 with the teeth of'the ratchet wheel 22. Ratchet lever 20 isthereby locked with said wheel 22 and movement of the former produces arotation of the latter which is transmitted through shaft 18, pinion 19and bevel gear 15 to the feedelement 6' (or 3, as the case may be). Theextent of adjustment will be indicated by the relative movement of thesleeve 36 to the sleeve 83 and may be accurately gaged by the movementof graduations 85 "or index point or points 38 with respect to astationary mark on theflange 34 of sleeve 33.

Itwill therefore be. seen that a manual adjusting device has beenprovided which is simple in construction, accurate. and efficient inoperation, and one which is adapted to produce a most convenient,accessible equipment which doesnot in any. way interfere with orencumber the associateddevices of the machine-tool, and which, by. itsangular relation to the feed element, projects to a. position where itmay be operated by the workman without moving from his position at thetable of the machine-tool.

WVhilethe illustrated embodiment of the invention has been describedwith considerable particularity,it is to be expressly understood thatthe invention is not to. be restricted to. such embodiment for it iscapable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, some of whichwill readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Referenceis therefore to be had to the claims hereto appended for a definition ofthe limits of the invention.

VVhatis claimed is 1. A manually-operated adjusting device formachine-tools comprising, in combination with a rotatable feed elementand the saddle, a gear mounted on said feed element and adapted torotate the same, means to cause said gear to travel with said saddle, apinion carried by said saddle in mesh with said gear, a shaft operableto rotate said pinion, and manually-operated means to rotate said shaft.

2. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable feed element and the saddle, a gear mountedon said feed element and adapted to rotate the same, means to cause saidgear to travel with said saddle, a pinion carried by said saddle in meshwith said gear, a shaft operable to rotate said pinion, means to rotatesaid shaft, and means to indicate the extent of adjustment of said feedelement.

3. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable feed element and the saddle, a gear mountedon said feed element and adapted to rotate the same, means to cause saidgear to travel with said saddle, a pinion carried by said saddle. inmesh with SZLId gear, a shaft operable to rotate said pinion, a ratchetwheel carried by said shaft, and ratchet mechanism to rotate said.ratchet Wheel and shaft.

4. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable feed element and the saddle, a gear mountedon said feed elementand adapted to rotate the. same, means, to. causesaid gear to travel with said saddle, a pinion carried by said saddle inmesh with. said gear, a shaft operable to rotate said pinion, aratchetwheel carried by, said shaft, ratchet mechanism to rotate saidratchet Wheel and shaft, and means to indicate the extent of rotation ofsaid shaft.

5. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable feed element and the.

saddle, a gearmounted on said feed element tion with a rotatable feedelement and the saddle, a gear mounted on said feed element and adaptedto rotate the same, means to cause said gear to travel with said saddle,

a shaft carried by said saddle and extendingat an acute angle to saidfeed element in the same horizontal plane therewith, a pin ion carriedby said shaft in mesh with said gear, and meansto rotate said shaft.

7. A manuallybperated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable-feed element and the saddle, a gear mountedon said feed element and adapted to rotate the same, means to cause saidgear to travel with said saddle, a shaft carried by said saddle andextending at an acute angle to said feed element, a pinion carried bysaid shaft in mesh with said gear, means to rotate said shaft, and meansto indicate the extent of adjustment of said feed element.

8. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombination with a rotatable feed element and the saddle, a gear mountedon said feed element and adapted to rotate the same, means to cause saidgear to travel with said saddle, a shaft carried by said saddle andextending at an acute angle to said feed element, a pinion carried bysaid shaft in mesh with said gear, a ratchet wheel carried by saidshaft, and ratchet mechanism to rotate said ratchet wheel and shaft.

9. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising, incombina- 'acute angle to said feed element, a pinion tion with arotatable feed element, a gear mounted on said feed element and adaptedto rotate the same, a shaft extending at an acute angle to said feedelement, a pinion carried by said shaft in mesh with said gear, andmeans to rotate said shaft.

10. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising,in combina tion with a rotatable feed element, a gear mounted on saidfeed element and adapted to rotate the same, a shaft extending at anacute angle to said feed element in the same horizontal plane therewith,a pinion carried by said shaft in mesh with said gear, and means torotate said shaft.

11. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprisin incombination with a rotatable feed e ement, a gear mounted on said feedelement and adapted to rotate the same, a shaft extending at an acuteangle to said feed element, a pinion carried by said shaft in mesh withsaid gear, means to rotate said shaft, and means to indicate the extentof adjustment of said feed element.

12. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising,in combination with a rotatable feed element, a gear mounted on saidfeed element and adapted to rotate the same, a shaft extending at ancarried by said shaft in mesh with said gear, a ratchet wheel on saidshaft, and ratchet mechanism to rotate said ratchet wheel and shaft.

13. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising,in combination with a rotatable feed element, a gear mounted on saidfeed element and adapted to rotate the same, a shaft extending at anacute angle to said feed element, a pinion carried by said shaft in meshwith said gear, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, an arm freely rotatableon said shaft, and manually-oper tion with a rotatable feed elementandthe saddle, a gear mounted on said feed element and adapted to rotatethe same, means to cause said gear to travel with said saddle, a shaftcarried by said saddle and extending at an acute angle to said feedelement away from said saddle, a pinion carried by said shaft in meshwith said gear, and means extending at an angle to said shaft toward thefront of said saddle to rotate said shaft.

15. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine-tools comprising,in combination with a rotatable feed ,element and the saddle, a gearmounted on said feed element and adapted to rotate the same, means tocause said gear to travel with said saddle, a shaft carried by saidsaddle and extending at an acute angle to said feed element away fromsaid saddle, a pinion carried by said shaft in mesh with said gear, anoperating arm extending at an angle to said shaft toward the front of.said saddle, and ratchet mechanism intermediate said arm and shaftwhereby movement of said arm may rotate said shaft. 1

16. A manually-operated adjusting device for machine tools comprising incombination with a rotatable feed element, a gear mounted on said feedelement and adapted to rotate the same, a shaft extending at an acuteangle to said feed element, a pinion carried by said shaft for rotatingsaid gear, and manually-operated means to rotate said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ERNEST 0. HEAD.

